STEELE CREEK NEWS

Home Depot, Super Target Coming to RiverGate in Steele Creek

(July 6, 2005) In an article published today in the Charlotte Observer (The Next Big Thing: More than a place to shop), Childress Klein Properties confirmed what they had unofficially revealed to the Steele Creek Residents Association last year: the two major anchor stores in their new commercial center at Highways 49 and 160 will be Home Depot and Super Target. They also revealed the name they've chosen for the new center: RiverGate.

Local residents refer to the Highway 49 and 160 intersection as Steele Creek Town Center, a name suggested but not used for the new Childress Klein center.  The intersection continues to develop as the focal point of the Lower Steele Creek community as commercial and other nonresidential development continues there.

Carolinas HealthCare System (which operates Carolinas Medical Center and numerous other health care facilities in the Charlotte and surrounding area) has requested rezoning for a 16.3-acre piece of land behind the Steele Creek Volunteer Fire Station just west of Town Center to allow construction of a major health center.  (See Rezoning Petition 2005-130.) Once this center opens, Carolinas HealthCare Systems plans to keep its Steele Creek Urgent Care office open on S Tryon Street near Westinghouse Boulevard.

The Observer article also revealed that one restaurant tenant will be Chick-fil-A,  but did not mention a possible multi-screen cinema complex. Other potential tenants announced in the Observer article are Starbucks, an office supply store, a pet supercenter, and a clothing store.

The Home Depot and Super Target stores will be at the back of the center facing away from each other. The unattractive back sides of the stores, with loading docks, truck parking, and outside storage, generally will not be visible to most center visitors.

The main entrance to RiverGate will align with the entrance to the Bi-Lo center across Highway 49. This entrance will have a traffic signal. A second entrance just to the west will be right in/right out only. The main entrance will provide access to RiverGate Parkway, which will pass through the center and eventually will connect up with Hamilton Road to the south. (See Site Plan filed with the Rezoning Petition 2004-064.)

Home Depot should open in November 2005. Super Target should open in summer 2006, along with other shops and restaurants.

Childress Klein has set aside approximately 11 acres on the east side of the property along Walkers Branch for a greenway trail. The trail will be part of the Steele Creek-Walkers Branch Greenway, which is part of the Steele Creek Community Trail system currently being promoted by area residents.

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